Bruins top Devils, extend points streak to 17 games

Reuters Staff

3 Min Read

Brad Marchand’s go-ahead goal in the last minute of the second period helped the surging Bruins claim their fourth consecutive victory as Boston edged the visiting New Jersey Devils 3-2 Tuesday night at TD Garden.

The win pushed Boston’s points streak to 17 games (13-0-4), the Bruins’ longest such streak since a 15-0-2 stretch during the 1982-83 season. The franchise-record streak of 23 games took place in 1940-41.

Marchand’s tally was his team-leading 21st, while Riley Nash (seventh of the season) and Patrice Bergeron (20th) also scored for the Bruins. Tuukka Rask tied a season-high 37 saves to improve to 15-0-2 in his past 17 starts.

Miles Wood scored his 13th goal of the season and Damon Severson added his seventh for New Jersey, which dropped its third straight and lost for the ninth time in 11 games (2-6-3).

Massachusetts native Cory Schneider started in net for New Jersey and stopped 17 of 20 shots before being replaced by rookie Ken Appleby to start the third period. Appleby made four saves without allowing a goal.

New Jersey scored first as Wood lit the lamp 2:05 into the second period before Nash evened the score at the 7:03 mark.

Severson again gave the Devils an advantage with his goal exactly two minutes later, but it was short-lived as Bergeron (12:53) tied it and Marchand (19:27) gave the Bruins the lead for good.

Adam McQuaid’s interference penalty with 3:48 remaining in the game gave the Devils a chance to tie it, but the Bruins killed off New Jersey’s power play.

Appleby skated to the bench with around 90 seconds to go, but New Jersey couldn’t even the score.

The Bruins became the NHL’s first team since Minnesota in 2009-10 to get a point in six consecutive games when conceding the first goal.

Just 24 seconds into the third, linesman Devin Berg went down after being hit in the head by a shot from Boston’s David Pastrnak. Berg left the game shortly after but returned late in the period.

New Jersey’s Taylor Hall missed his first of at least two games with a left hand injury. The former No. 1 overall pick leads the Devils in goals (17) and points (48).

Boston’s Charlie McAvoy was released from an area hospital before the game after the rookie defensemen underwent an ablation procedure to treat an abnormal heartbeat on Monday. McAvoy is expected to miss two weeks.

Boston seeks its 22nd win in 30 games dating back to Nov. 16 when it visits the Ottawa Senators on Thursday in its final contest before the All-Star break.

New Jersey wraps up its first half Thursday against the Nashville Predators.